Blood Doping: Results and Consequences From the Laboratory and the Field

In brief: Just as Roman gladiators drank the blood of foes to gain strength, modern Olympians have infused the blood of friends as well as their own to gain endurance. Blood doping, which tainted the triumphs of the 1984 US Olympic cyclists, has at last been banned. This literature review defines blood doping, discusses its use and rationale, and presents some of the research findings. The conclusion is that blood doping, properly performed, works in the laboratory, but there is insufficient evidence to show conclusively that it works in the field.